Thankful for successful celebration

Published 3:36 pm, Tuesday, October 1, 2013

On Sept. 19, the Diocese of Bridgeport welcomed our new leader, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, in a beautiful service that took place at St. Theresa Church on Main Street in Trumbull. The festivities also included events in Nichols and in Bridgeport.

We're very grateful for all those who attended, volunteered and helped to make this a very special day in the life of the diocese.

In particular, I want to thank the Trumbull Police Department and town leadership for their outstanding efforts in assisting with the installation and its challenges with parking and traffic.

The logistics of shuttling more than 1,100 people between the Westfield Mall, which generously made parking space available, St. Theresa Church and St Catherine of Siena Family Center were considerable and could not have run so smoothly without the leadership, cooperation and effort of First Selectman Tim Herbst, Chief of Police Thomas Kiely and Lieutenant Tom Savarese.

In addition, numerous officers did an outstanding job of redirecting traffic to minimize the disruption along Main Street, as well as assisting in managing the challenging parking effort associated with the event. They assisted in securing the satellite parking area at the Westfield Mall as well as managing traffic flow outside of St. Theresa.

Their expertise also assured that Bishop Caggiano was able to move swiftly between installation events. It was truly a critical part of the success of the day.

For all those residents who may have experienced unnecessary delays in the middle of the day last Thursday, we apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as you may have waited along Main Street, Route 108 or Shelton Road.

Likewise, we wish to thank Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and the Bridgeport Police Department for their assistance with traffic control and security for the Vespers Prayer Service at St. Augustine Cathedral on the eve of the bishop's installation. Their cooperation and presence on that night and at many other occasions throughout the year at the cathedral, the bishop's home church, are much appreciated.

Bishop Caggiano and all of us here at the diocese are extremely grateful for your hospitality when we celebrated this exciting day.